Panic set in, and everyone began running in every direction.

  “Girl, Jane, wake up, wake up!” the man inside the carriage urged.

  “Mmmmm, wait,” she muttered, kicking him away.

  “Go home! The more we do here, the more Rheis suffers for it. Run home, hurry!” the man commanded. As he spoke the final words, his voice shifted, layering into a chorus of many voices—both men and women.

  Jane scrambled out, sprinting toward home. She stepped through blood and viscera scattered across the panicking street. She didn't look back. She flew through the alleys and across the streets; two turns to the right, straight ahead a shortcut the ln turns to the left, wasn't the shortest distance but she was home. Without slowing down, she burst upstairs, only to find Rheis lying in a pool of blood.

  “Jane,” her mother said, looking at her bruised daughter.

  “Mom! Rheis... what’s with Rheis?!” she shouted, dissolving into tears.

  “Come here, dear. Come here,” Mom said, dragging Jane away from the scene.

  _ _ _ _ _ _

  “I still can’t believe it.”

  “It’s been weeks, though,” Aisha replied. “Anyway, that’s why you had to see it. If I had simply told you, you might have thought otherwise.”

  “So, how is he?” the lady asked.

  “Fine. It got bad after that, but they’re making it,” Aisha said.

  “Next time, give me a better heads-up.”

  “I get you. Even I was scared like that. You saw it, but I felt it from afar—and I saw it later,” Aisha replied.

  “Well,” the friend started, forcing her old legs up. “Let’s at least have one. We are under Necrosiphy, after all.” She reached out and removed a bone.

  “Are you sure? You’re getting old, you know,” Aisha teased.

  “To the spirits, to all that wield power—me included—for I am...”

  If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

  “She’s serious. Okay then, I’ll beat you again, Tork,” Anjali said, as she too removed a bone.

  “For I am strong enough to wield this call! I am proud and powerful! I call upon you weaklings, you who cannot touch me! I am Aisha!” she proclaimed. As she spoke, the bone began to multiply, knitting itself into a skeleton. “The one who calls to you... serve me as your master! Durom, the greatest!”

  Fresh flesh began to weave onto the skeleton from toe to head. “Nyrrak, to walk this world and be my dear friend!” she added. White fur sprouted, covering the pinkish-red muscle. The creature stood as white as a cloud with black eyes, its head reaching Aisha’s waist. It bared its teeth at the monster standing opposite it—a creature of outrageous height, green-skinned and wielding an axe.

  “You got your hands on its bones?” Aisha asked, impressed.

  “Had to. It was a good opportunity to have this on my side,” Tork replied. “Now, Orr! Show master what you can do!”

  “Tork and Aisha are at it again,” a little boy whispered to his friend, catching his breath.

  Before long, a crowd gathered near the training area. The space was as large as a pitch, but the magic allowed everyone to see and hear the combatants clearly.

  Orr swung. Durom dodged, lunging to snap at the giant's leg, but Orr quickly recovered his footing and delivered a heavy kick. The blow sent the Nyrrak flying through the air, but the creature twisted mid-flight and landed perfectly on its feet.

  “That’s the best part of the Nyrrak family,” Aisha said, watching Durom. “They always land on their feet. Durom, now!”

  Durom looked at Aisha and steadied himself. The two beasts charged. Durom evaded a massive swing that split the ground beneath him. Increasing his speed, he circled back. As the Orga turned to find him, Durom had already struck, yanking a large piece of flesh from the back leg—right at the nerve that made movement possible.

  The battle ends and the conversation shifts toward the future. I’ve polished the grammar and clarified the dialogue while keeping your specific character names and the world-building details like "Necrosiphy" and "Orga."

  No cry was heard, but the leg went numb. Durom stayed at a safe distance; his instincts called for the kill. Following that primal urge, he began stalking, leaping in and out of the danger zone with predatory precision.

  It seemed like a finished game, until Orr showed his intelligence. With a clever fake of exhaustion, the Orga lured him in. Durom drew near—too near—and was suddenly caught in a crushing squeeze.

  “A draw wouldn’t be bad for today, right?” Aisha asked, watching the struggle.

  “A draw? I’d say a win. Durom isn’t getting out of that,” Tork replied.

  “And Orr is bleeding out. One way or the other, one of them will go down. It’s just a matter of who is first,” Aisha said, a smile playing on her face.

  “A draw then, for today,” Tork conceded.

  “For today,” Aisha agreed.

  The two summoners offered praises to their companions while the crowd clapped. It wasn’t the longest fight, but the onlookers had enjoyed the display.

  “We are lucky that she had control of it. Imagine if—”

  “Then we are happy she did, that’s all,” Anjali interrupted from behind the girl. She began walking away, accompanied by Dakota and Sky.

  “I wasn’t talking about your grandma,” the girl replied, trying to make her point.

  “It’s bad to imagine such things, that’s what I meant,” Anjali said over her shoulder before continuing on.

  “Don’t mind her, she’s just...” the friend whispered to the other girl, the conversation shifting back to trivial things.

  “The year's end isn’t far,” Anjali said as they walked back home. “There is usually a large tournament then. The winner is given recognition and privileges, like their own house and other rewards.”

  “Is that why everyone is so active?” Sky asked, looking at the people around them, many of whom were scouring through piles of bones to pick a companion.

  “Yes…”

  “What about you? Are you joining?” Dakota asked. She was wearing a grey dress, while Sky and Anjali wore black and blue dresses respectively.

  “It’s not limited by age, so it’s hard to win,” Anjali explained. “It’s more about who has the most power, regardless of how old they are.”

  “And finding a powerful companion or creature helps, doesn't it?” Sky asked.

  “The more powerful the creature is, the more powerful you have to be to command it. That’s the catch.”

  “So Anjali... is she?”

  “No, Dakota. Anjali is too old,” Anjali replied, speaking of herself. “It takes a lot of energy to keep that up. It’s not just a one-day thing; it can take three days or a week if many people participate. Each year has different laws.”

  They continued walking home, ascending a small hill, when they saw a group of boys. One of them stood out from the rest—he was taller than average, with skin just a shade above light brown.